


Just Waiting For the Ends To Meet

by senioritastyles



Series: Lynn's Fics [9]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Emotional, Fluff, M/M, malum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 05:50:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11594241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senioritastyles/pseuds/senioritastyles
Summary: Sunlight blares down on Calum as he hustles to the bus stop, having overslept for the third time this week. It's been five months since he and Michael were more or less dragged away from each for different reasons, Calum flying to New Zealand to do internship work with a mammal research group and Michael immersing himself into a summer graduate program at the local marine biology labs.Or: Calum and Michael are apart and they're having a rough time with it.





	Just Waiting For the Ends To Meet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [social_reject](https://archiveofourown.org/users/social_reject/gifts).



> (title is from Same Sea by Lights)

Sunlight blares down on Calum as he hustles to the bus stop, having overslept for the third time this week. It's been five months since he and Michael were more or less dragged away from each for different reasons, Calum flying to New Zealand to do internship work with a mammal research group and Michael immersing himself into a summer graduate program at the local marine biology labs. They've hardly had any time to communicate past rushed morning texts each day but the past few nights Calum's gotten FaceTime calls from the older boy, lasting until 2 or 3am when both of them have to be up at 7. The combination of stress from the grueling work and being without Michael is taking its toll on Calum and he knows it's doing the same to Michael, running them both ragged. The late nights certain aren't helping any but Calum would rather be tired and stressed and able to see Michael's smile on his phone screen than not. 

 

Calum steps off the bus with heavy feet, lethargically moving towards the small research building just half a block down from the bus stop, thinking hard about how much he misses falling asleep next to Michael. 

 

"Morning Calum!" His fellow research intern, Lynn, chirps. 

 

Calum huffs a relieved breath that she's in today after having been sick for the past week, the sweet and incredibly smart girl having quickly become his best friend from the moment they met five months ago. Calum doesn't even properly greet her before he's stalking across the small room and enveloping her in a tight hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head and just hugging out the frustration he feels. Lynn holds him around the waist with ease, not letting go until Calum does a minute or so later. 

 

"Alright you two, I want you sorting the samples from the past week." The research director, Mark, tells the both of them before leading the other three interns along with the actual research team to the truck they've been taking to and from the sites. 

 

"Well that's lucky, we get the easy job and now you can talk to me about why you look three seconds away from dying." Lynn says, poking Calum in the ribs and leading the way to the tables full of samples. 

 

Calum rolls his eyes but he knows Lynn is right as always, sitting himself down and putting on rubber gloves to sift through the samples. "Since when did sorting DNA and fecal samples become the easy job?" He wonders, carefully read each sample label and placing it on a different spot on the table. 

 

"Since the hard job is humanely catching a bunch of stoat and taking blood samples and sticking your fingers in their shit." Lynn laughs, following Calum's pile system easily. "Now spill you, what's wrong?" 

 

Calum sighs and watches Lynn sort for a second before he decides to just tell her, knowing she'll give him the best advice out of everyone he could ask. "It's just.....being away from Michael like this, it's hard. A lot harder than I thought it would be, actually." He starts, going back to sorting as he continues. "Without him here it just feels like I'm lost in the open ocean, so to speak. I described it to Michael last night as feeling like I can't seem to find any solid ground to put my feet down anymore, like I'm just exhausted without him." He says, deflating a little when he realizes how dramatic he's making it all sound. "I feel so clingy and stupid even admitting that." 

 

Lynn furrows her eyebrows at Calum. "Well, you're not either of those things, Cal. I'd tell you if you were, trust me." She assures him. "You love him, plain and simple, and from what you've told me you always have loved him and you've never really been apart for more than a week or two at a time. It's been five months without the love of your life, Calum, anyone would be feeling lost." 

 

Calum sighs because he knows she's right, again, but there isn't much more he could say about the subject without sending himself into an emotional breakdown or something. Luckily, Lynn seems to pick up on it and she continues. 

 

"Look, babes, it's a hard thing to deal with and you don't have to beat yourself up because you're having a difficult time. I'm sure Michael is in the same boat, right?" She wonders, Calum nodding in response. "Then you know it's not just you being dramatic, it's something you're both feeling because you love each other and you need each other. You can't think of it like being lost at sea, though. You have to imagine that it's more like being carried in opposite directions by the same ocean and that you're just on a long journey back to each other. And when you get there, you'll both be stronger and happier together because of what you went through." 

 

The silence is heavy as Calum thinks about what Lynn said, taking in every word and processing what it all means. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that what Lynn said is true. It might feel like he's lost without Michael but he's just becoming better for Michael, securing a future to support Michael in all his endeavors like the older boy has always done for him. He feels like he's starting to understand why things have to be so hard now, and it's because if he doesn't learn to bend with the tides he'll always drown. If he doesn't do this now, it won't ever feel like an easy time with Michael when it should. 

 

He doesn't realize Lynn is still speaking until she's calling his name with a giggle. "Sorry, what?" 

 

"I said, why don't you be 'sick' for a week and go see him?" She suggests, smirking softly at her best friend. 

 

Calum takes a second to fully understand what she's getting at before he realizes she's telling him to leave now and be with Michael and come back in a week. "Lynn, I couldn't....could I?" 

 

Lynn nods immediately. "You could, and you're going to. Now get outta here, I'll cover for you until you come back." 

 

Calum smiles wide for the first time in what feels like an eternity, kissing Lynn on the cheek and running out of the building, just managing to catch the bus waiting there before it leaves. He tosses his gloves into the trashcan at the front of the bus and pulls out his phone, booking himself a seat on the next flight to Australia. When he gets to his small box apartment he feels like he's got more energy than he's had in months, whizzing around and chucking clothes into a duffel bag before calling a cab and grabbing his passport out of the drawer in his bedside table. His ride shows up in under ten minutes, taking him straight to the airport where Calum just barely catches his flight after nearly running through check-in and security. 

 

\---------------------------------- 

 

A few hours later Calum is pulling up in another cab to the marine lab Michael has been studying at, carrying nothing but his bag and a plastic bag full of Michael's favorite snacks. He's met all the people that work here so it's easy for him to walk in and wave. 

 

"Where's Michael?" Calum asks a boy he recognizes as one of Michael's close friends, his voice hushed. 

 

"He's outside, by the boats." 

 

Calum nods and makes his way carefully through the much larger building right on the coast of an inlet, pushing himself out of the back door and immediately spotting Michael by one of the lab's small boats by himself, writing leisurely in a notebook. Calum instantly feels like he can breathe properly again, like his feet have finally come to rest on land after feeling water-logged for so long. 

 

"Mike?" He calls, unsure of why he's nervous but he chalks it up to being gone for five months. 

 

Michael's head immediately whips around and his eyes blow wide when he sees who had said his name. "Calum?" He says, furrowing his brows like he isn't sure if he's imagining this or not until Calum smiles brightly. "Holy shit, Calum!" 

 

The older boy drops his notebook and pencil on the ground and launches himself at Calum, tackling the brunette to the ground with his force and there are elated tears in both of their eyes. "Hi baby." Calum breathes, laughing breathlessly as Michael lands quick kisses all over Calum's face. 

 

"Hi, oh my god what are you doing here?" Michael wonders, propping himself up on his elbows and finally kissing Calum's lips. "Not that I'm not happy to see you here but, why aren't you in New Zealand playing with the little weasel things?" 

 

Calum laughs and kisses Michael again before answering. "Because Lynn made me realize something important about what we've been doing, but mostly because I wanted to see you and Lynn said it looked like I was a few seconds from dying." 

 

Michael looks entirely shocked but he knows it's an exaggeration. "What exactly did she make you realize?" 

 

"That the two of us belong together no matter what, and while we might feel like we can't find common ground right now, it's just because we're trying to find our own ground so we can be better for each other in the long run." Calum explains, running his fingers through Michael's hair—a feeling he hadn't realized he'd missed so much. "And then she told me to be pretend sick for a week so I could come see you." 

 

Michael laughs. "I knew I liked that girl. She's got a smart head on her shoulders." 

 

Calum nods, sharing another long and languid kiss with Michael, both of them much more confident that this turmoil is only temporary and that soon enough they'll be back on the same wavelength, stronger than ever and ready to be in love for as long as they physically can be.

**Author's Note:**

> And here is part 2 for Lynn's birthday fics! Only a few short minutes after midnight but today got a little crazy for a bit and my dog caught a centipede and killed it and yeah, I apologize for not having this up sooner but here it is none the less. I also apologize for this (yet again) being kinda shitty and short but I tried my best and please don't hate me. 
> 
>  
> 
> tumblr: senioritastyles & babyhemhem  
> twitter: xtraceex  
> insta: traceethekid  
> snapchat: youngtray


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